I am the Founder of NOSTALAB--a digital health think tank with a focus on health, medicine and technology. My current passion is to advance the role of social media and technology in healthcare. I am currently the #1 Kred-ranked health influencer and in the top .01% of influencers in marketing, health, doctors and social media. I cut my teeth at Ogilvy CommonHealth, the world’s largest healthcare communications company and have held a series of positions including Chief Creative Officer, Chief Strategic Officer and unit President.

Don't Only Count Calories and Steps, Your Metabolism is Key!

Tracking your activity is easy and almost mundane these days. New devices seem to “re-invent” the same old pedometer with a smartphone twist. And while that’s important, the emergence of mobile health and digital health is pushing the bounds of the quantified self. So, while activity and calories are one part of the equation, metabolic parameters are another essential part of the human equation that provides a more complete perspective.

Darn, it’s my metabolism!

Breezing is the first metabolism tracker that is battery-operated and syncs with smartphones for personal (or professional) use anywhere and anytime. It is based on indirect calorimetry, which determines energy expenditure of a person by measuring both consumed oxygen and produced carbon dioxide rates. The Indirect calorimetry is well established and widely used to measure metabolism, and recommended for the treatment of obesity and management of weight by World Health Organization, American Dietetic Association and American College of Sports Medicine. The traditional approach for measuring metabolism is to use a metabolic cart, which is rather bulky and expensive equipment, available only in clinic or research labs. Metabolism determines what our bodies need to sustain our life–and how many calories we should be eating to maintain, loose, or gain weight.

Metabolic approximation are less accurate–and can vary.

Everyone’s metabolism is different, depending on gene, age, weight, body composition etc., and it can change over time. For example, building muscle can help to increase metabolism, and a sudden reduction in food intake can decrease metabolism. Thyroid disorders can affect your metabolism. That’s why tracking your metabolism can be important.

Are you burning fat or carbs?

A very interesting aspect of Breezing is that it also determines respiratory quotient (RQ), the ratio of produced carbon dioxide to consumed oxygen, which tell us the type of “energy source” the body uses–carbohydrates, fats, or a mix of both. This is an essential piece of information for just about anyone who wants to quantify the fuel burn and the right “zone” of activity.

In addition, Breezing comes with a smartphone app, which allows us to do the measurement and to view and track the history of metabolism, RQ, weight (either via wireless scale or manual input). It has also an intelligent algorithm to help the user to plan his/her fitness or weight loss, and provide personalized recommendation based on his/her own metabolism.

Digital health–at the gym and at the physician’s office.

Put another check in the box for digital health. While Breezing has practical uses for the “athlete” in us, it also can play a role in clinical practice. Conditions such as hypo and hyperthyroidism may be helped as therapy is fine-tuned based upon the reading from this device.

But perhaps it’s most important role might be to track and manage metabolic dysfunctions (diabetes, for example) or on-purpose fat loss. The metabolism respiratory quotient allows patients and healthcare professionals to determine the active metabolic routes (carbs or fats), and helps to make treatment or diet decisions to reach your metabolic goals.

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